Driver Circuit and a Method for Matching the Output Impedance of a Driver Circuit with a Load Impedance

1. A line driver circuit of an integrated circuit (IC), comprising: a first current source configured to operate in a triode region such that it has a first impedance value when the first current source is active; a first resistor connected in parallel with the first current source, the first resistor having a first resistance value; a second current source configured to operate in a triode region such that it has a second impedance value when the second current source is active; current switching circuitry coupled to at least one of the first and second current sources; a second resistor connected in parallel with the second current source, the second resistor having a second resistance value; and a source termination resistor connected across output terminals of the driver circuit, wherein the first and second resistance values and the source termination resistance value are set such that a combination of the first and second impedances, the first and second resistors and the source termination resistor provides the driver circuit with a desired output impedance, wherein the source termination resistance value (R ST ) is sufficiently large that its effect is mathematically negligible in the expression ((R b1 ∥R ds1 ])+(R b2 ∥R ds2 ))∥R ST , wherein R b1 is the first resistance value, R b2 the second resistance value, R ds1 is a resistance of the first current source, and R ds2 is a resistance of the second current source.

2. The line driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein the current sources are transistors.

3. A method for providing a line driver circuit of an integrated circuit (IC) with a desired output impedance, the line driver circuit including current switching circuitry coupled to at least one current source, the method comprising: selecting a value of a first resistor; placing the first resistor in parallel with a first current source of the driver circuit, the first current source configured to operate in a triode region such that it has a first impedance value when the first current source is active; selecting a value of a second resistor; placing the second resistor in parallel with a second current source of the driver circuit, the second current source configured to operate in a triode region such that it has a second impedance value when the second current source is active; selecting a value for a source termination resistor; and placing a source termination resistor across output terminals of the driver circuit, and wherein the combination of the first and second impedance values, the first and second resistance value and the source termination resistance value produces a desired output impedance for the driver circuit, wherein the value of the source termination resistor (R ST ) is sufficiently large that its effect is mathematically negligible in the expression ((R b1 ∥R ds1 ])+(R b2 ∥R ds2 ))∥R ST , wherein R b1 is the first resistance value, R b2 the second resistance value, R ds1 is a resistance of the first current source, and R ds2 is a resistance of the second current source.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the current sources are transistors.